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The summer wildfire season in B.C. has already begun, with dozens of fires burning across the province.

In the Prince George region, fire officials said on Thursday that they were battling 20 new fires sparked in the past two days, 15 of which were caused by lightning.

One of the fires was caused by an abandoned campfire, and the causes of four others were undetermined.

Fire information officer Jill Kelsh said one of the largest fires is 60 kilometres northeast of Fort Nelson and had burned through three hectares.

The fire danger rating is currently “moderate” to “high” throughout region, with a few areas rated “extreme” near Vanderhoof, Fort St. John and northeast of Fort Nelson.

Meantime, a fire near Osoyoos that was sparked Wednesday after a fiery crash between a pair of transport trucks was contained by Thursday morning.

The crash happened just before 5 p.m., when one of the semi-trucks side-swiped the other while attempting a pass on the Crowsnest Highway.

Kayla Pepper, a fire information officer at the Kamloops Fire Centre, said Thursday that the fire quickly spread to 9.4 hectares from 4.5 hectares by Wednesday evening. Twenty firefighters worked through the night, and she said that by Thursday morning the blaze was contained.

The vehicles were heading westbound on Highway 3 near Spotted Lake when they collided. One driver escaped from their vehicle unharmed and without assistance, but the other had to be pulled from the rig with what are believed to be non-life threatening injuries. A 45-year-old Kelowna man was taken to hospital by air ambulance but he is expected to recover.

An investigation continues, but RCMP say alcohol is not believed to be a factor in the crash.

B.C. has a new weapon in its battle against the hundreds of wildfires that destroy large swaths of the province’s forests every summer. It’s a fleet of skimmer airtankers, an amphibious aircraft that can skim water and continue fighting a fire without having to return to base. The Vancouver Sun spoke with superintendent of the provincial airtanker program Michael Benson and fire information officer Kevin Skrepnek to find out more about the new fleet, and what it is costing B.C. taxpayers. The following is an edited version of those interviews:

Q: When did B.C. acquire this new fleet, and what is it made up of?

A: B.C. acquired four new Air Tractor AT-802F “Fire Boss” amphibious airtankers this spring ahead of the summer fire season. They are operated under contract by the Conair Group and put the province’s fleet of aerial firefighting resources at 24 aircraft. The Fire Boss is like a mini version of the Martin Mars water bomber, the largest piston-powered propeller-driven aircraft in the world. Capable of working as a land-based aircraft or as a float plane, the Fire Boss can skim water from nearby water sources to continue fighting a fire without having to return to base.

Q: How much do they cost B.C. taxpayers?

A: They cost about an additional $2.5 million a year, with Conair Group supplying the pilots. Some of those costs, though, are recovered when they send the planes to other jurisdictions, which then pay the operating fees. All of the 24 aircraft in B.C.’s fleet are contracted out, either with Conair out of Abbotsford or Air Spray Aviation out of Red Deer. Benson says the aircraft enhance the fleet and have the potential to save forests, structures and even lives.

Q: What are the advantages of having these skimmer aircraft to fight large wildfires?

A: We could send them all out or divide them up to fight other fires. The Fire Boss goes out with a “bird dog” spotter aircraft, the lead plane. In the past, B.C. has mainly used planes to drop fire retardant on a blaze. But now if the fire is near a water source, firefighters can potentially put out the fire much faster because they can continually drop water. The Fire Boss can also drop flame retardant, but its purpose is to skim water off lakes or oceans. With these, pilots are more flexible because they can do both. They can also drop foam mixed into the water. The mixture delays evaporation of the water and helps it penetrate deeper into the ground. Flame retardant slows the spread, but the water and foam mixtures are applied directly to the flames, helping to contain it much faster.

Q: How much water can they pick up?

A: The Fire Boss can load up to 3,025 litres of water in 12 to 15 seconds, and be back on its way to the fire line in less than 30 seconds.

Q: Have they been deployed to any fires in B.C. yet this season?

A: Yes. Early last month the new airtanker fleet went on its first mission to support ground crews fighting a fire near Schroeder Creek north of Kaslo. The planes dropped 222,361 litres of water and foam, and the fire was contained in 75 minutes. It’s an inexpensive means of delivering water, at about seven cents a litre. With the Fire Boss, firefighters can decide to use water and foam, which is much safer if the fire is near people’s homes.

Q: Where are they now?

A: All four have been deployed to the Northwest Territories to assist with wildfire suppression in the Hay River area. They can be recalled at a moment’s notice if they are needed to fight fires in B.C. and all costs are covered by the jurisdiction requesting the resources. They will be based in Revelstoke, but can be moved depending on where the big fires are burning.

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Lightning strikes, highway collision spark new season of forest wildfires

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